Location: The Makaha Flag Pole is located just above Makaha Beach. The flag can be seen driving along Farrington Hwy towards Kaena if you look up.

Type: Ridge hike

Hike Difficulty: Intermediate

Total Time: 2 hours.

Distance: ~.9 miles

Elevation: ~500 feet

Things to Consider

• Kid friendly: no
• Pet Friendly: no
• This hike follows switchbacks up the mountain (zig-zag trail), however it is really difficult to see as the trail is getting over grown.
• The Waianae side is extremely hot so be sure to bring sun screen. Most of the hike is out in the open.
• A lot of the rocks are loose on the trail and may fall. Be careful where you step and always keep a watch if you are behind another hiker.
• The flag may seem really close, however the heat and difficulty of following the trail makes the hike challenging.
• The branches of the trees are brittle so do not hold on to them for support. They will break.
• This hike was great for a sunset as well. Just make sure to get down before dark or bring a head lamp.

Your hiking backpack

• Sun Screen
• 2 Liter of water
• Snacks
• Head lamp
• GoPro/camera for beautiful pictures of the West side!

Directions

Take Farrington Hwy towards Waianae and follow the road all the way to Makaha. As you reach Makaha Beach look on the right for a parking lot. Park here next to the bathrooms. If you look up, you can see the flag flying high up on the mountain.

Our Journey

I haven't taken pictures at the start to protect the privacy of this hike. However, you just head all the way to the opposite side of the bathrooms in the parking lot and follow the dirt road. You will see some trail markers marking the start of the hike. It leads through some brush and broken branches and even some thorn plants. Then we ended up on this big pile of loose rocks. Then you encounter the switchbacks of the Donkey Z Trail. The Donkey Z Trail zig zags up the mountain, but it is very difficult to follow due to the trail not being maintained. You can sort of see the trail from a distance, but once you are on the mountain, I thinks it's easier to just go straight up to the flag. We hopped rocks and followed the trail in some parts, but we mainly just created our own way up the mountain. Lots of rock climbing, but nothing too difficult. The slope of the mountain is very steep, so be careful on this hike. The branches of the trees are brittle so do not hold on to them for support. They will break. We made it to the flag after about 45 minutes or so. This hike has a great view of the coast line and Makaha valley! You can also see all the way to Kaena Point. It's a short, but challenging hike with an amazing view! If you are looking for a more difficult hike, you can go up past the flag along the ridge. This will take you to Pu'u Keaau. The whole trail will take you about 7 to 8 hours.

Check out the YouTube video on this hike!

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Since 2014